Illinois Central--Freight Train: Steam Locomotive
This series was created to celebrate my thousandth find and to say thank-you to the many cachers who have placed the caches that have given me such enjoyment. This series is especially inspired by imcgisme’s Beefies series and brainandbraun’ Whimsical Tales series with some help from rcflyer2242’s caches. The series is also designed with beginning cachers and especially kids in mind. All hides should be very easy and I hope that the cache containers help make it fun for kids of all ages. Families with small children and folks with complaining joints should note that the terrain for the passenger train series is straight forward and should not present much trouble. However, the terrain for the freight train series is varied. The railroad embankment near the beginning of the train is high and fairly steep, especially for the tender and tank car. These numbers should be pretty easy to guess, so it is possible to find the mystery train without climbing to these caches. Occasionally it might not be obvious where to find the log on the container. In these cases a hint will guide you. On the outside of each cache container is a series of numbers. Be sure to record the ones digit as you will need it to find the final: Mystery Train--At the Station. For example, if the number on the outside of the cache container reads 123, you would need to record the number 3.
The Badger State Trail runs on the former bed of the Freeport to Madison line of the Illinois Central. The line was originally constructed for the CM&N Railroad running from Freeport Illinois to Madison Wisconsin. It was completed in 1888 with the first train making the run on February 1, 1888. The final run was made in 1991. As part of the state of Wisconsin's Rails to Trails program, the Badger State Trail opened in 2007 with the final paved section from Purcell Road north to Madison opening in 2010. Click here for more information on the Badger State Trail.
The Steam Locomotive
While steam locomotives have not been in standard use for over half a century, for many people it is the steam locomotive that comes to mind when they hear the word train. If you ask a child to make the sound of a train, more than likely he or she will make the sound of the steam locomotive, even though they have never heard the sound of a steam locomotive in person. The Scottish inventor, William Murdoch, built the first proto-type of the steam locomotive in 1784. However, it was not until 1804 that the first full scale working steam locomotive was built for the Penydarren ironworks in south Wales. The first public railroad began operation in 1825. The first America railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, began operation in 1829 using the legendary locomotive Tom Thumb. The following decades saw explosive development of railroads in both Europe and North America. In just 40 years, the United States would be bridged ocean to ocean by rail with the completion of the Transcendental Railroad in 1869. If you talk with an old steam engineer they will often speak of the locomotive in terms reminiscent of a living thing. These terms convey the affection with which the steam locomotive was held. These terms, however, also provide an insight into the ultimate demise of steam power. Like a living thing, a steam locomotive required constant feeding and attention. In northern winters a locomotive could not be allowed to go cold, or the freezing water would rupture pipes and fittings. The requirement for fuel involved great costs in moving and storing supplies of coal. However, it was the need for large amounts of clean water, particularly in the west, that drove the search for an alternative to steam. Yet steam locomotives remain a popular draw for tourist trains. And I expect that children in a hundred years will still say, “Chooo, choo, cho, cho cho, cho cho cho, woooo, wooooo” as they play train.
The Train Cars are on the track from approximately March 15 to November 15.
They are replaced by bison tubes for the winter.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Steven Johnston, Badger State Trail Manager of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding
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